Jan O'Sullivan
Question:903 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science the measures that are in place to deal with truancy from schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24608/00]
Vol. 525 No. 2
903 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science the measures that are in place to deal with truancy from schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24608/00]
I share the Deputy's concern about truancy from schools, caused by whatever reason. Due to the link between non-school attendance and early school leaving, my Department has initiated a programme comprising both legislative measures and special targeted initiatives to combat the problem of non-school attendance and early school leaving.
The recently enacted Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, will replace and reform current school attendance legislation. The Act provides for the introduction of a comprehensive school attendance service with responsibility for school attendance being given to a newly established body – the National Educational Welfare Board. The focus of the national authority will be the provision of assistance and support, through locally-based educational welfare officers, to schools and families, rather than on penalties for non-attendance at school. The Act also includes specific measures for the early identification and support of children at risk of dropping out of the school system.
In that regard, the Act provides that when a student is either suspended for longer than six days, or misses more than a cumulative total of 20 days in a school year, or displays what the principal considers to be irregular attendance patterns, the principal shall inform the education welfare officer. This trigger mechanism aims to prevent problems before they emerge, rather than treating the symptoms later.
However, legislative solutions are not in themselves enough. For that reason it is vitally important that we also have in place strategies to encourage and support schools in retaining pupils to completion of senior cycle. In this regard the eight to 15 year old early school leavers initiative was introduced in 1998. One of its key objectives is to test models of response to the problem of early school leaving, with a view to the integration of such models, after structured evaluation, into mainstream policy and practice. The projects strand of this initiative involves 17 specific projects in 14 areas. The initiative was originally introduced for the school years 1998-99 and 1999-00. I have decided to extend the existing 17 projects for a further phase, for the period 1 July 2000 until 31 August 2002.